Aquatic Center to Celebrate Fifth Anniversary with Pool Party
Get your swimsuits, sunscreen and beach towels ready because the outdoor leisure pool at the Cumming Aquatic Center will be opening soon! A grand opening party will be held from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 13. The party also celebrates the fifth anniversary of the opening of the Aquatic Center. There will be lots of fun for the whole family, including a DJ, games, and plenty of prizes. The concession stand will be open for dinner purchases. It is not necessary to register for this event, but all attendees will be required to pay the daily admission fee of $5 for adults, and $4 for children ages 2-17 and seniors 60 and over. Kids under 2 are free. For more information, click here.
'Taste of Forsyth' Draws Thousands to Cumming Fairgrounds
Some 8,000 people came out to sample food from various restaurants and vendors during the annual Taste of Forsyth at the Cumming Fairgrounds on March 25.

The event featured samples from 24 food vendors, ranging from pizza and barbecue to ice cream and tacos, and plenty more in between. Food vendors also competed for bragging rights through event judging. This year's winners were:
  • Best Appetizer - Rio Balsas' Fiesta Shrimp
  • Best EntrĂ©e - Gasthaus Tirol's Chateaubriand
  • Best Dessert - Marie's Italian Deli's Italian Cream Cake
  • Best Presentation - Moto Asian Cuisine's Thai & Shrimp Roll
  • Best Decorated Booth - Tin Drum Asian Cuisine

Besides food, guests enjoyed booths featuring 21 sponsors, live music, and a kids' zone area with games and inflatables.  

A highlight of the event, always held on the Saturday just prior to Easter, is a large Easter egg hunt. The hunt is divided into three events for various age ranges. All together, some 3,000 children took part in the egg hunt this year.

Click here for more photos from Taste of Forsyth.

Did you know?  Cumming Fairgrounds employees fill and place some 30,000 plastic eggs each year for the Taste of Forsyth Easter Egg Hunt. All that work just to have the eggs grabbed up in mere minutes by tiny hands, but it's definitely a labor of love!
Council Approves Lease for Special Needs Adult Program
During the March meeting of the Cumming City Council, members unanimously approved a lease agreement with Creative Enterprises, a Lawrenceville-based nonprofit that provides day programs for special needs adults.
 
Through the agreement, Creative Enterprises will begin a satellite program for residents of Cumming and Forsyth County in the old Cumming Recreation Building on Pilgrim Mill Road under a $1-per-year lease. The Cumming program will be overseen by Lisa Bennett, who taught special education for Forsyth County Schools for 20 years and served as an administrator for the system's Special Education Department for 14 years.

The program will help special needs adults lessen their barriers to employment by maximizing their potential through training, socialization, and work opportunities.  "This is something families in the City and County have needed for a long time," Bennett said.
 
Also during the March meeting, Council voted to approve:
  • Updates to the City's liability insurance policy.
  • Low bid for printing of the Recreation Department's Spring and Summer Activity Brochure.
  • Low bid for repainting of the Cumming Fairgrounds' covered arena.
  • A contract with Jerry Weitz for work on the City's state-mandated Comprehensive Land Use Plan update.
  • Moving forward with condemnation proceedings, if necessary, for three properties along Bethelview Road for a water and sewer project related to the widening of the road. The Utilities Department has successfully obtained 32 easements for the project and will continue to work with the remaining three property owners with a goal to avoid condemnation. Council approved the possibility of condemnation for each property separately, with Councilman Christopher Light abstaining from one of the votes due to a conflict of interest.

 

Click here to view meeting videos.
City of Cumming Presents First Annual Report
City elected officials and staff are pleased to present the first City of Cumming Annual Report. In the pages of this publication, readers will find highlights of the City's accomplishments in 2015. Moving forward, this publication will be prepared annually with each edition highlighting successes from the previous calendar year. Hard copies of the 2015 City of Cumming Annual Report can be picked up at City Hall, the Cumming Playhouse, City Park Recreation Building, Cumming Aquatic Center, and the Cumming Fairgrounds office. To view an electronic copy, click here.
Cumming Utilities Presents 2016 Water Quality Report
The 2016 Water Quality Report is now available from the Cumming Utilities' Water Production Division. This annual report provides valuable information for all Cumming water and sewer customers, including levels of various elements found within the City's drinking water, tips for protecting the health of our drinking water, and activities to help kids and adults learn ways to reduce water consumption. Cumming Utilities is proud to report that all water produced by the department again met all water quality requirements set forth by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Division. Click here to read the 2016 Water Quality Report.

Utilities Employees Take Part in Cleanup
Joining dozens of volunteers from throughout the county, several Cumming Utilities employees took part in the Great American Cleanup on March 19. The volunteers fanned throughout the county to pick up litter along roadways. The Great American Cleanup is one of several events throughout the year in which Cumming Utilities employees partner with Keep Forsyth County Beautiful to maintain the health and beauty of area waterways and green spaces. Others include Rivers Alive, Shore Sweep, and Adopt-A-Stream workshops. Click here to learn how to get involved with future cleanup efforts.

Coming Soon
To the Cumming Fairgrounds
Forsyth County Master Gardeners' Plant Sale & Garden Event - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 9, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 10
Keep Forsyth County Beautiful Electronics Recycling Event - 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 16

To the Cumming Playhouse
"Ozark Jubilee from Branson, Missouri" - 8 p.m. April 8 & 9, and 3 p.m. April 10
"My Fair Lady" - 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, April 28-May 22

Meetings
Planning & Zoning Board - 5 p.m. April 19
City Council - 6 p.m. April 19
Both meetings are open to the public and held in the third-floor Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 Main Street. For all meetings after 5 p.m., please enter through the rear parking lot entrance.

 
Thanks for reading our monthly newsletter! Be sure to check out the City of Cumming 2015 Annual Report and the Cumming Utilities 2016 Water Quality Report for more valuable information.

Sincerely,   
City of Cumming
Division of Public Information